STATE OF WISCONSIN INVESTMENT BOARD For Immediate Release Telephone: 608-266-2381 Contact: John Nelson at 608-266-7232 SWIB CALLS FOR RAINFOREST CAFE BOARD TO REDEEM POISON PILL Madison, Wisc. (October 3, 2000) - The State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) today called for Rainforest Cafe to redeem or amend its poison pill to permit SWIB and other existing shareholders to take collective action. "SWIB is considering several specific steps to increase value for Rainforest shareholders. However, we are concerned that terms of the Landry's Seafood Restaurant merger agreement and Rainforest's existing poison pill might be interpreted to effectively preclude current shareholders from collectively taking such action," said John Nelson, SWIB's Small Company Stock Portfolio Investment Director. "SWIB still thinks the company is worth substantially more than the $3.25 per share offered by Landry's," added Nelson. "The offer is open through October 27, 2000, so I hope other shareholders will wait to see what happens before then and will not tender their shares now." Nelson said, "We were shocked to read that Rainforest's President was pursuing this second Landry's transaction in June, only two months after the shareholders had rejected a higher offer from Landry's," referring to disclosures made in the Landry's tender offer documents filed this week. "It looks as though the Rainforest board is more interested in selling the company to Landry's than in discharging its fiduciary responsibilities to shareholders or in finding a new CEO who is willing to take action to maximize the value of this company for its current shareholders." SWIB is the investment manager for the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS). With over $64 billion in assets and 463,000 participants, the WRS is the ninth largest public pension fund in the U.S. --end--